Obama Just Retaliated Against Russia For Trump Hacks, Diplomats Scramble

President Obama has just signed a four-page executive order imposing retaliatory sanctions against the Russian Federation for their government’s political hacking activities during America’s 2016 elections. President Obama’s new order (see in full below) expands the scope of sanctions to cover people and companies, the GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate) and the secret police, the FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation), which succeeded the notorious KGB.

Additionally, President Obama announced that a “name and shame” campaign is coming, according to The Hill:

“These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities,” Obama said in a statement. “We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized.”

Further, Obama announced that the Department of Homeland Security and FBI will declassify “technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence service cyber activity” to help networks defend against “Russia’s global campaign of malicious cyber activities.”

The sanctions target two of Russia’s main intelligence organizations — the GRU and the FSB — four individual GRU officers, and three companies who provided support to the GRU.

Bloomberg’s Moscow correspondent reported on MSNBC TV News that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s press secretary called the move “destructive,” and continued the Kremlin’s very public and political support for President-elect Donald Trump. Putin’s aide also complained that retaliating for Russian hacking of our election is, “undermining the Trump administration.”

“These actions were taken to respond to Russian harassment of American diplomats and actions by the diplomats that we have assessed to be not consistent with diplomatic practice.”

President Obama continues to signal that further retaliatory measures against Russia will be taken in the coming weeks, some of which may be covert. The Hillreports that the Democratic Senate minority leader approved of the measures.

“I hope the incoming Trump administration, which has been far too close to Russia throughout the campaign and transition, won’t think for one second about weakening these new sanctions or our existing regime,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.

Although an executive order can be changed or revoked at any time by a future President, Democrats are clearly hoping that it would be a political loser for the incoming President-elect and cause an open revolt by the few Senators remaining in the Republican Party who actually oppose the Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.

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